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Who is the Bristol Energy Cooperative?Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC) is a community-owned co-op, formed in 2011 by people from a number of community energy groups. Our aim is to grow sustainable energy supplies in the area, and make the benefits of green energy available to local communities and economies rather than distant corporations. In 2012 we ran a community share offer to install solar panels on community buildings. Over £125,000 was raised from 150 member-investors. The money received for the electricity generated by the panels is used to pay our investors an annual return. This was projected at 4% annually, and we have met that target in the 2 years since launch. We then ran a second share offer for more solar installations on community buildings, and raised a further £120,000.

Who is REG?REG Windpower is a renewable energy developer based in Truro, Cornwall. REG is proposing to build two wind turbines in the area between the M48 and M4 motorways.

When did BEC get involved in the project?In December 2012. After our solar share offer earlier in the year, we started developing projects for other renewable technologies, including wind power. It takes a long time to develop a wind project from scratch though, so we looked to partner with others if possible. We contacted a number of companies who were developing local wind turbine projects, and discussed the possibility of community investment in the projects. One of those companies was REG, and they were immediately supportive of there being a significant community element to the M48 wind farm.

In January 2013 we wrote a letter of support for the project to the South Glos planning department. In the letter we said we hoped to work closely with the developers of the scheme so that local people could be involved and share in the benefits. In April 2013 the planning committee made a visit to the proposed site as part their decision-making process. We attended the site visit, and spoke in favour of the project. At the time our discussions with REG about our level of involvement in the project were still in progress. However, in June that year we signed a legal agreement that gives BEC an exclusive option to the buy the M48 wind farm from REG, should it be built. We then immediately wrote to residents near the site to inform them of our deeper involvement in the project and invite them to a community information event.

Why isn’t a South Glos Energy Co-op involved?Because one doesn’t currently exist. BEC attended a planning workshop for community energy facilitated by South Glos Council, and we floated the idea of there being a South Glos energy co-op. This may or may not happen. It’s a bottom-up process, so if there are people willing to set one up, it could happen. In the meantime, BEC is open to all, regardless of where they live. We already have BEC members in South Glos, and some of our directors live there. We also work with colleagues in Bath and West Community Energy. It’s more about co-operating on shared goals (community-led renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects) rather than defining geographical boundaries.

Does BEC now own the wind farm?No. BEC has the right to buy the wind farm from REG. REG are the current developers of the project, and are working to gain planning permission for it. If the planning permission is granted, REG will build the project, and BEC will have a right to buy the completed wind farm from REG.

Why does REG want to sell the wind farm to BEC?REG owns and operates wind farms around the UK. It has a number of wind farm projects that have received planning consent. Sometimes it sells the wind farms in its existing portfolio to other people, and the M48 project is the ideal size to explore community ownership.

Why invest in a commercial scale wind farm?Wind turbines are one of the most commercially-advanced, large-scale renewable technologies. They enable large amounts of clean renewable energy to be generated and distributed locally to meet local energy requirements.

But I heard wind farms aren’t efficient?This is one of the greatest myths about wind farms. Wind turbines are highly efficient at turning energy from the wind into electrical power, The M48 wind farm would generate enough clean renewable electricity to power between 2,800 and 3,100 local homes each year. However, the wind doesn’t blow all the time, and at these times the turbines do not generate electricity. This leads people to label wind farms as inefficient, which is incorrect. One of the reasons the M48 site was selected was because it’s a particularly windy location. Department of Energy and Climate Change figures for 2012 show the average capacity for gas fired power stations in the UK was 30.4%, while for wind it was very similar at 29.0%. For more information on this subject, please read the briefing at www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/wind_myths.pdf

Why aren’t you pursuing a hydro scheme in the Severn?There’s great renewable energy potential in the Severn estuary, and we are following the Sustainable Severn initiative - www.sustainablesevern.co.uk – with great interest. However, developments there will take quite some time to come to fruition, and we need to be generating more renewable energy right now.

What’s the financial benefit for the local community?For wind projects of this size, developers typically contribute to a local community fund for each year the wind farm generates electricity. The fund is then used as the community decides. The amount given to the fund is based on the Community Benefits Protocol, under which wind developers in England commit to providing an amounty for each MW of installed capacity, for each year the installation is generating. In October 2013 the minimum amount was increased to £5,000 per MW.

REG has long had best-practice arrangements on community benefits, and had already committed to providing £5,000 per MW per year to the local parish councils. For a 5MW wind farm this would amount to over half a million pounds over the lifetime of the turbines. In early 2014 REG signed a legal agreement with the parish councils of Olveston, Aust and Pilning which commits them to making these payments should the wind farm be built. It also commits any future buyers of the wind farm to maintaining those payments too.

There may also be scope for front-loading some of this money, and this would enable the community to get substantial projects of their choice off the ground soon after the turbines started generating.

What would be the financial benefit for local investors?There will be an opportunity to invest in the project via a BEC community share offer, similar to the way we run our solar PV share offers. Those living locally would be given preference. It may also be possible to give locals a preferential rate of interest. However, this may reduce the amount of money available for the Community Fund, so we’d welcome your views on whether this is something that should be offered.

How are wind farm sites found?Computer mapping is used to find wind farm sites. Wind turbines have to be a certain distance from houses, roads, designated nature areas and airports.

Why the M48 wind farm?The UK has to meet legally-binding targets for renewable energy production, and each local area has to play its part in meeting these. Wind-generated power is a substantial contributor to South Glos’s corresponding renewables target, but there are relatively few suitable sites for this in the county.

The proposed M48 wind farm is a two-turbine site to the south of Ingst. The site is windy, situated between two motorways, and there is a lot of tall infrastructure already in the area. It would therefore seem to be one of the less intrusive locations, despite some understandable local concern. An additional benefit of the site is that as it is between 2 motorways, the turbines can be delivered to the site via the motorway, without passing through local villages.

What will the wind farm cost?The cost of the wind farm hasn’t been determined yet, as a procurement process will be involved. Once the wind farm is built, REG will inform BEC of the total cost, and a price will be agreed.

What will be the process of investing in the wind farm?If planning permission is granted, BEC will seek to raise money through a share offer. Once the target is met, BEC will approach REG to call in its exclusivity agreement and purchase the operating wind farm. If all the money cannot be met from a share offer, BEC would use traditional loan funding to make up the shortfall.

Isn’t this a bit over-ambitious?No. Community-owned renewable energy is thriving across the UK. One of the best-known examples is the 100% community-owned Westmill Wind Farm Coop in Oxfordshire (www.westmill.coop), where nearly £4 million was raised by over 2000 member-investors. More locally, since June 2014, Bath and West Community Energy and Low Carbon Gordano have recently raised nearly £4 million together for community solar installations. In addition, we are soon to launch our third community share offer, for £1.6 million.

Will BEC be any different from any other wind farm developer?Once BEC buys the wind farm, it will be owned by the co-op. This means that rather than earning money for a single entity it will be earning money for a large amount of locally-based individuals. So the wind farm will be locally-owned, and investors would have a say in how the wind farm is run.

Are there any other benefits from the wind farm?a) REG has pledged to use local firms where possible for the construction of the wind farm. This will bring in local jobs in areas such as construction, fabrication, haulage, electrics, security and accommodation.

b) The wind farm will help offset carbon emissions that would otherwise have been generated by carbon producing generation such as coal. The wind farm would help offset between 183,000 and 206,000 tonnes of Co2 over the 25 year life time of the project.

c) Ecological improvements will be carried out as part of the project. These include improved hedgerow management, tree planting and pond enhancement.

d) Improvements will be made to Bilsham Lane.

e) The electricity generated will go straight to the local sub-station within the National Grid.

f) We and our partners would be happy to assist the local community with energy-related projects that they’d like to develop. This could include, for example, solar panels on schools/community buildings/domestic houses, energy assessments and energy efficiency measures for households, renewable heat installations, and bulk discounts on electricity & gas contracts.

g) The project will provide money to the local economy through paying business rates.

Will additional turbines be added to the site later?There is only room on the site for 2 turbines. Further expansion is limited by the motorway and housing buffers.

How long would it take to build the wind farm?3-6 months.

How long will the turbines be there for?25 years. After that, the turbines will be decommissioned. At the beginning of the project the developer has to set aside in a bond the money for the de-commissioning.

Why can’t the turbines be lower?At a lower height the wind speed is poorer, and the turbines would be much less effective. There would need to be more smaller turbines rather than fewer bigger ones.

How much electricity will the 2 turbines generate?The wind farm would generate sufficient renewable electricity to meet the needs of between 2,800 and 3,100 homes in an average year.

How long do turbines need to operate for to make up for the carbon emissions produced in their construction?On average, 3-9 months.

Will the wind farm affect my house price?A number of studies have been conducted on the effects of wind farms on house prices. Some find no impact, others find some impact - both positive and negative. The evidence is inconclusive, and this prompted The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to advise the government in May 2013 that there is a growing need for updated research on the impact of wind farms on house prices - see www.rics.org/uk/knowledge/news-insight/news/rics-write-to-decc-on-wind-farms-/

Can I be affected by shadow flicker?No, REG is proposing to fit sensors to the turbines that can detect possible flicker and will shut the turbines down at particular times to prevent this from happening.

As a tax-payer, why should I be subsidising renewable energy?There are government incentives to stimulate the generation of more renewable energy. But the non-renewable energy sector receives them too. In 2012 alone, the government gave tax breaks of almost £1billion to companies working on North Sea oil and gas production. And the nuclear power industry has always relied on government subsidies.

In addition, when the costs of energy production from different sources are calculated, they don’t include the costs of:

- dealing with the carbon emissions produced from fossil fuels- dealing with the waste produced from nuclear energy.

Why should we bother with renewables here when China is building new coal-fired power stations?It’s true that China is building more coal-fired power stations – as are other countries. At the same time, China produces more electricity from renewable sources than any other country, and more than the European Union countries combined. And it continues to invest heavily in renewables.

In addition, China uses a significant amount of energy providing goods to the West. Our continued demand for these goods is contributing to the problem. So we’re all in this together, and all need to play a part in finding a solution.

Bristol Energy Cooperative is the trading name of Bristol Community Energy Limited, a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 - Registration Number 31313R.